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Why the Pacers will win the NBA Championship next year

-Roy Hibbert and Paul George have both shown good work ethic and both of them should come back improved
-George Hill has had a whole summer just to work on his point guard skills so he should be a better facilitator and decision maker next year
-Danny Granger struggled to find his role on the team last year but now he should know his role
-David West is now a year removed from his knee surgery so he should be 100%
-Gerald Green should add the scoring punch off the bench that we lacked in the playoffs last year
-Ian Mahinmi gives the Pacers a solid back-up center, something we did not have last year after Jeff Foster retired
-For all of those Darren Collison supporters out there, whether you like it or nor D.J. Augustin is a better fit for this team than what he was, this team needs a distributor and they got one in Augustin

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Re: Why the Pacers will win the NBA Championship next year

Just one of Wade or LeBron suffering a season-ending injury would make Miami beatable. We can take Boston Senior Citizens with relative ease, so we're one lucky injury away from being the front-runners in the East. We'd then have to pull the upset in the Finals.

The Lakers look like monsters on paper, but the games aren't played on paper. Detroit proved superstarless teams can beat on-paper champions back in '04. It would take great chemistry and caching, but it can be done.

Re: Why the Pacers will win the NBA Championship next year

We have had some great teams in the 90's with Reggie and Rik and early 2000's with JO and Artest. The team we have now is good, but not at their level. Maybe in 3 or 4 years we can talk about contending, but at the moment we are just a mild threat.

Re: Why the Pacers will win the NBA Championship next year

First year coach instilling a new offense. Aging SG, A bit of chaos at PG. 3rd best record in the weak east the year before, 9th best in the league. Next year we had the best record in the league. And had it not been O'neal getting hurt we would have probably won the championship.

Re: Why the Pacers will win the NBA Championship next year

Let's not be unrealistic. We are what we are right now, 2nd tier contenders.

We have a very good chance of beating anyone else in the East other than Miami, or Boston (assuming Pierce and Garnett are still able to perform like they did in the playoff last year next year.)

If Miami is injured again, and George or Hibbert makes a big step maybe.

But we don't know that yet. We can hope, but we can't make declarations at this point. I'm optimistic, but we just can't know yet. If we're the same as last year Miami is a fair bit better than we are. If we make the ECF it is a very successful season, and sets us up well to take that next step to the finals. ECF isn't a pie in the sky kind of thing, it has a real chance to happen, Finals, however, are very unlikely, though I hope it happens as much as anyone.

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Re: Why the Pacers will win the NBA Championship next year

Whatever koolaid you're drinking, I want in on

In more seriousness though, it seems like you make the assumption that nobody else in the league is going to come back improved. Everybody in the NBA (aside from Eddy Curry) is working hard and improving their game. Other teams have made improvements to their roster talent wise as well.

Let's not be unrealistic. We are what we are right now, 2nd tier contenders.

We have a very good chance of beating anyone else in the East other than Miami, or Boston (assuming Pierce and Garnett are still able to perform like they did in the playoff last year next year.)

If Miami is injured again, and George or Hibbert makes a big step maybe.

But we don't know that yet. We can hope, but we can't make declarations at this point. I'm optimistic, but we just can't know yet. If we're the same as last year Miami is a fair bit better than we are. If we make the ECF it is a very successful season, and sets us up well to take that next step to the finals. ECF isn't a pie in the sky kind of thing, it has a real chance to happen, Finals, however, are very unlikely, though I hope it happens as much as anyone.

Re: Why the Pacers will win the NBA Championship next year

I'm usually pretty pessimistic, but I think we have an outside shot at a title this year, maybe 20-1 odds. In my opinion the Pacers are the best of the second tier teams (Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Sixers, Nuggets). With some good luck I see our path to the finals as this: Upset the Celtics in the second round, which I think is entirely possible. LeBron just played a compacted schedule and entire playoffs as well as the Olympics with the world on his back. If he ever has an off-year, this will be it. Then ride that momentum into the finals and hope we match up well with whoever comes out of the West.

Re: Why the Pacers will win the NBA Championship next year

I'm usually pretty pessimistic, but I think we have an outside shot at a title this year, maybe 20-1 odds. In my opinion the Pacers are the best of the second tier teams (Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Sixers, Nuggets). With some good luck I see our path to the finals as this: Upset the Celtics in the second round, which I think is entirely possible. LeBron just played a compacted schedule and entire playoffs as well as the Olympics with the world on his back. If he ever has an off-year, this will be it. Then ride that momentum into the finals and hope we match up well with whoever comes out of the West.

You're a lot more confident about Lebron having an off year than I am. I'm a lot more inclined to say that when people look back in 25 years they'll say last season was the beginning of the Age Of Lebron and when he began to cement his status as the greatest player ever. Much the same way we look back at the Reggie Pacers and say "if it just weren't for the Bulls..." it's going to be that way with Miami from here on out.

Re: Why the Pacers will win the NBA Championship next year

You're a lot more confident about Lebron having an off year than I am. I'm a lot more inclined to say that when people look back in 25 years they'll say last season was the beginning of the Age Of Lebron and when he began to cement his status as the greatest player ever. Much the same way we look back at the Reggie Pacers and say "if it just weren't for the Bulls..." it's going to be that way with Miami from here on out.

This is probably closer to the truth. I may have mixed in a little Pacers Kool-Aid with my post. Like I said, 20-1, so about a 5% chance that happens.

Re: Why the Pacers will win the NBA Championship next year

In more seriousness though, it seems like you make the assumption that nobody else in the league is going to come back improved. Everybody in the NBA (aside from Eddy Curry) is working hard and improving their game. Other teams have made improvements to their roster talent wise as well.

What have the Magic, 76ers, Bulls, Knicks, and Hawks actually done to improve their roster. They made some moves to replace people they lost. But hardly enough to really say they have improved. Hell the 76ers are missing 3 starters from the playoffs last year. For all intents and purposes they are a new team